Listening Module

The listening test is the same for academic and general training. Therefore, it has the same marking and structure for versions of the IELTS listening test.

Test Information

1. The listening lasts for 40 minutes, where for 30 minutes, a recording is played, and 10 minutes are given to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Note: “Only 2 mins are given for computer-based IELTS test, as you already have your answers recorded; the time is given only to check your answers for any correction you want to make.”
2. There are four parts of the IELTS listening test:
   • Social context-based conversation between 2 people.
   • Monologue speech (just one person talks about a topic: social context)
   • A conversation between 1 to 4 people about academic/educational or training context
   • Monologue academic lecture. (See section 2 of this page to know about each part in detail.)

Important Tips

1. For a pen-and-paper-based test, you must listen and write your answers on question paper simultaneously, and you will get an extra 10 minutes to transfer answers on your answer sheet. Similarly, you must listen and type your answer simultaneously in computer-based tests. But be aware that you will get 2 minutes to check your answers; there will be no extra time to write your answers as your answers are already on the computer.
2. Be careful with the word limits of each section, as exceeding the word limit will result in the answer being marked wrong.
3. Be careful while spelling the words; misspelled words must also be marked wrong.
4. Take the time to read the section’s question before recording those sections. The practice of reading questions will help you to answer quickly and accurately.
5. Don’t limit yourself to practice listening lessons. Try to indulge yourself in listening to conversations of native English speakers as much as you can through podcasts, movies, or TED talks.

Strategy to score Band 9 in the listening test:

1. Understand the format of the IELTS listening module, which is discussed under the test information section of this page; the test is designed so that the difficulty level increases from sections 1 to 4.
   1. My first tip is always to read the instructions carefully. Understand what the question asks for and the word limit for the answers. Refer to the following table to get an idea of the number of words and their considerations:

• For preparation, my tip would be to master sections 1 and 2 first, then focus on sections 3 and 4.
  • Another underrated thing to master is the focus, the ability to listen carefully and continuously for at least 30 minutes. To take this to another level, meditate for 5-10 minutes daily; this will help improve and boost your mental health.
  • Eliminate distractions, mainly social media and news, while preparing for the IELTS test.
  • When you practice, do self-analysis, identify your weaknesses, and then look for strategies to tackle them.
  • The most common problem students need help with is spelling mistakes. The best way to learn is to make a Word document or notebook where you write all the spelling mistakes after you attempt any listening, reading, or writing test. After this, write the correct spelling beside the misspelled ones. Go through them once a week or month, and retest yourself in those spellings.
  • Another common issue that students face is that they try to understand every single word being said in the recording. But remember, our primary goal is to find the correct answer in the listening test. Especially in parts 3 and 4, you will find many words you need help understanding. On exam day, I prefer to try to understand the meaning from its context; if you still understand the meaning of it, in the worst case, I suggest you do not worry about it and keep moving by focusing on the next question. On the other hand, if you are practicing, try to understand the meaning from the context of the topic and then attempt the question. This will become a natural habit for you, and even if you don’t know some words in the exam, there is a higher chance of getting that answer right. After the test, learn the word’s meaning, write it in a Word document or notebook, and go through it when you want to improve your vocabulary.
  • While checking answers, be honest with yourself. Just be a little harsh on yourself; often, we are so easy on ourselves that we neglect our simple mistakes, such as minor spelling errors or missing s/es in our answers, by thinking we will correct them in the next attempt. But this is not true; we need opportunities to improve our listening skills. Trust me, you will not regret for being too harsh on yourself.
  • To check answers, refer to the answer and read the official transcript of the recording to get a better idea of the context and the main reasons behind your mistakes. This will help you to avoid these mistakes in future attempts.
  • Finally, always apply for tests when you are ready; I mean when you are confident and consistently getting 1 or 0.5 bands higher than your targeted band score in at least four listening tests.

Understanding each section in detail:

1. Section 1:
2. This section is a social or general context conversation between 2 people. For example, form filling, information taking, and phone number taking in a phone conversation.
3. This section has straightforward questions; the only tip to nail this section is to read the instructions carefully.
4. The best material to practice is through official listening tests.
5. Section 2:
6. It is a monologue speech which means just one person speaks about a topic: general or social context. For example, a person reviewing a book, a hotel visit, or a person telling personal experience.
7. The best way to practice is to listen to favorite podcasts, YouTube channels, etc., in your leisure time.
8. Section 3:
9. It is a conversation between 1 to 4 people about an academic/educational topic.
10. This section mainly focuses on understanding different speakers’ viewpoints during the test.
11. The resources you can refer to learn are podcasts with multiple guests discussing an academic topic, health, or politics.
12. Section 4:
13. This section records a speaker talking about academic topics.
14. The practical examples are university lectures you will witness in real life. But don’t worry, you do not need to attend school to learn this section.
15. You can learn about academic topics by listening to podcasts and TED talks.

The major challenges or traps in Listening tests:

1. Unusual spellings: Another main thing to pay attention to tricks is to carefully listen to the unusual names and not go with your spelling of the people’s names and phone numbers format. Don’t worry about it too much; speakers will spell it out for you if the conversation has unusual spelling or formats. For example, both these names are Bell or Belle, pronounced the same, and we often tend to write what we understand when we hear it for the first time.
2. Plurals: Often, students lose their marks by missing out singular and plurals. The best way to tackle this is to keep this in mind while listening to the recording and apply the grammatical rules.
3. Paraphrasing: Sometimes, you’ll observe the same type of information by rephrasing it, often using synonyms or slightly different wording or sentence formation. Therefore, don’t limit yourself to the exact keywords in the question; consider synonyms. For example, if a question asks for the number of entrances, such as “_____ entrance,” a recording might use words like gateway or entry. For instance, “The airport has two main gateways: entry and exit.” In this case, you should also consider the word gateway.
4. Negatives: There are many instances where information is presented in a way that seems negative but is positive. For example, in a conversation, if a speaker says, “I don’t mind having lemon juice,” it means they don’t dislike it and are comfortable having lemon juice. Therefore, you must understand the real meaning of these phrases, as the intended meaning can be quite different from the literal words used.

Strategies to tackle different types of questions

The basic strategy for each type of question remains the same, which is as follows:

1. Identify the most common issue with the question.
2. Think or research to solve the problem.
3. Develop or finalize a strategy.
4. Implement the strategy.
5. Make it a natural habit.

There are four types of questions:

1. Sentence Completion
2. Fill up words
3. Maps
4. MCQs

Let’s have a look at how to handle each type of question:

MCQs:

1. The main Problem with MCQs is that all the options look the same.
2. The best way is to understand the question (what is being asked) and given options by highlighting the main keywords in the question as well as all the given answers
3. Understand the difference between each provided option.
4. Don’t write the first option you hear. Always listen to full context and then mark your answers.
5. Focus less on a single question. If one is messed up, let it go and move to the next one.
6. Be careful about qualification statements, for example, however, but, etc.
7. Think about synonyms and paraphrasing as well.
8. After looking at all the question’s aspects, finalize the answer and move to the next one.

Maps:

1. The first and foremost thing to do is to read and follow the instructions carefully.
2. Look at the map and understand it during the time given to read your map section. Ensure you know the signpost language and familiarize yourself with the landmarks and features already indicated on the map.
3. The next step is to understand what is expected out of the asked question. Ensure you can complete everything before the start of the recording.
4. Another challenge most students have with a map is visualizing themselves to walk through it.
5. The prime reason is that students must familiarize themselves with the specific map vocabulary.
6. The solution is to practice listening, visualizing, and taking notes simultaneously. Initially, you will find it challenging, but when it becomes a habit, you will find it more manageable.
7. The next step is to listen carefully to the talk’s starting point; following along and getting your answers right is crucial.
8. Understand and get a handful of practice following directions along with the recording.

Fill Up questions and sentence completion:

Both these types of questions can be tackled using a common strategy:

1. Carefully read and follow the directions, keeping note of word counts and singular/plural instructions.
2.  Read through the questions to understand the context before the recording is played.
3. Be ready for unique spelling tricks.
4. Double-check whether the answer should be singular or plural.
5. Practice regularly to become familiar with common words and phrases.
6. Review and revise your answers for correct spelling.

Reliable Listening Practice Test Resources:

1. IDP
2. British Council
3. IELTS
4. Cambridge English Official website and books (Paid)

Exam Day Tips

Although some tips are the same as those discussed in the general discussion, they are crucial for exam day as well, so here is a summary of those tips and tricks:

6. Always check the quality of the headphones at your test center before the start of the test. If you face any issues with it, promptly notify the coordinator to have the headphones fixed or replaced.
7. Read the instructions for each part carefully.
8. For a pen-and-paper-based test, you must listen and write your answers on question paper simultaneously, and you will get an extra 10 minutes to transfer answers on your answer sheet. Similarly, you must listen and type your answer simultaneously in computer-based tests. But be aware that you will get 2 minutes to check your answers; there will be no extra time for writing your answers as your answers are already on the computer.
9. Always utilize the time given to read questions before each part’s recording starts.
10. Don’t panic if you lose focus at some point; make an educated guess for the current question and keep moving to attempt the next ones.
11. Don’t overthink the following question: keep your 100% focus on current questions.
12. Write ALL answers in CAPITALS to avoid confusion related to Capitalizing only the Names of places, people, etc.  
13. Don’t panic on the exams if you don’t know the meaning of some words, especially in section 4. Use the strategy discussed under this page’s “Strategy to get Band 9 score for listening test “section.
14. Make sure to attempt all 40 questions, even if unsure about some answers.